Healthy Progress: Founders of Biofourmis, Carrot Fertility, Fivetran, Nana, Ring +More

I decided to wait until the weekend was over to hit send, partly because it’s likely to be a telling week in the stock market and partly because I just wanted to try a Monday morning release to see how it feels. This Fortt Knox newsletter is closing in on 11,000 subscribers combined on LinkedIn and Substack, so feel free to share it with anyone who likes to stay on top of innovation and leadership.

I skipped a week because I was on vacation, so there’s a little catching up to do —?which will make this edition a bit long. Plenty of intriguing companies and ideas to choose from though, if you want to dig deeper. Let’s go!

Is the Economy Bad, Or Does It Just Feel That Way? On the Other Hand

Because of the stock market’s volatility this week, we didn’t do a Working Lunch on Power Lunch. So I’ll start with On the Other Hand, like I used to. This one’s about the economy, and expresses a lot of my thoughts about the economy we’re in. We learned this month that annual inflation spiked to 8.5% in March, but business spending on technology seems to be holding up well, judging by earnings from Microsoft and ServiceNow. So is the economy bad, or does it just feel that way? I argued both sides in the latest installment, on CNBC's Squawk Box:

Biofourmis CEO Kuldeep Singh Rajput on Using Sensors and Data to Improve Home Healthcare

I spoke with Kuldeep Singh Rajput, cofounder and CEO of Biofourmis, about how data and AI are helping improve patient care, and why he changed the company’s business model to make its approach more comprehensive. The company last week announced a $300 million Series D round of financing, and that Intel Chairman (and former Medtronic CEO) Omar Ishrak is joining Biofourmis as chairman. Kuldeep Singh and I also talked about why he started building cars as a teenager:

Carrot Fertility CEO Tammy Sun on Infertility Awareness and A New Benefit for Men

I caught up with Carrot Fertility CEO Tammy Sun during Infertility Awareness Week to talk about how fertility benefits are playing out in a tight labor market, and Carrot’s low-T offering for men:

Fivetran CEO George Fraser on the Challenge of Moving Data to Enable Cloud Adoption

Fivetran wasn’t always focused on the secure movement of data —?that was a pivot for the startup. And CEO George Fraser didn’t plan to be an entrepreneur — he was doing advanced work in neuroscience. We talked about the opportunities and challenges in this economy:

Ring Founder Jamie Siminoff on What Keeps Him Engaged, the Shark Tank Payoff, and Focus

There’s a good chance you’ve heard the success story of inventor Jamie Siminoff, who left Shark Tank without a deal for his DoorBot video doorbell (renamed Ring) but parlayed the attention into breakout success. You might not remember that he sold Ring to Amazon. In this Fortt Knox 1:1 Jamie gave me details about Ring’s near-death experiences, his parents’ unique motivational approach, and why his wife is the MVP:

Nana CEO David Zamir on Career Innovation for Blue-Collar Workers, and Nana’s Approach to Appliance Repair

David Zamir grew up in a working-class household where the stresses of tough economic times took a devastating toll. Now he’s using his entrepreneurial energy to create a new model: Nana trains workers in appliance repair then connects them to jobs:

Check out?The Black Experience in America: The Course,?an online educational resource I researched, designed and built.?A?free PDF download?is available?to bring the material to kids, and the?online interactive experience?is made for young people and adults.?You can also take?interactive courses at your own pace: